Treating Coccydynia Using Primal Reflex Release Technique TM Case Report

Background and Purpose: The hallmark presentation of coccydynia is localized pain over the coccyx. Patients typically report having tailbone pain; yet, the exact etiology of coccydynia is unknown. Factors such as obesity and female gender increase the risk of developing coccydynia with women being 5 times more likely to develop coccydynia than men. The purpose of this case report is to share the outcomes (results) of using Primal Reflex Release TechniqueTM (PRRTTM) to treat coccydynia. Method and Procedures: A 34-year-old Euro-American female patient presented to physical therapy with a complaint of recurrent, chronic tailbone pain with prolonged sitting on hard surfaces and surfaces with mild cushion.To determine the effects of the treatments, the patient was examined using the following tests and measures and outcome measurement tools: The 1 Minute NocioceptivExamTM, Two-Minute Walk Test (2MWT), Chair Sit and Reach Test (CSRT), the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and the Global Rating of Change (GRoC) Scale. Results: On discharge assessment (6th visit), the patient reported no (0/10) tenderness and pain during The 1 Minute NocioceptivExamTM with coccyx palpation and sidebending mobilizations. The PRRTTM coccyx release techniques decreased the patient's worst coccyx pain to 1/10 with prolonged sitting after 1 hour on the NPRS at discharge versus 8/10 worst coccyx pain with prolonged sitting after 1 hour on the NPRS at initial examination. Discussion: The results support the effectiveness of using PRRT to treat coccyx pain. Using PRRTTM, an intervention model aimed at treating an up-regulated autonomic nervous system, may have contributed to the positive patient outcomes. Conclusion: The results showed that the PRRTTM paradigm's coccyx release techniques can be effective in treating a case of coccydynia if not some or most cases. The results are not generalizable to all patients who may present to physical therapy with a complaint of coccyx pain including the male sex. Further research could include a large, diverse sample size.